"It's definitely within reach," Cody said. "I felt like this was the best time for me.''

He also thought he needed more grooming before coming to the professional ranks. Cody is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2013 draft.

"Playing in the Big Ten, with how much talent we had this year, helped me get ready for the NBA," he said. "Playing in the loud environments and against the best competition every night, prepared me for the NBA.

"I thought I had a great year, as well. My numbers were up from freshman year in spite of all the attention and double- and triple-teams."

Zeller was impressive at the Chicago draft combine when he uncorked a standing vertical leap of 35 1/2 inches, by far the highest among big men. His wingspan is 6-10 3/4 and his standing reach is 8-10.

He was a back-to-the-basket player at Indiana. NBA teams want to see if he can extend the range on his jumper out to the 3-point line. He might play some power forward in the NBA.

Cody's teammate, Hoosiers shooting guard Victor Oladipo, could be a top five pick. He said Oladipo's work ethic is off the charts.

"It's unbelievable how athletic he is," Cody said. "The sky is the limit for him."

That's a long way from where he was coming out of high school.

"Pretty much every interview I've had with teams, they ask me about it," Oladipo said. "It drives me. I know what it feels like to be at the bottom. I'm going to use it as fuel.

"I've proven myself and showed my abilities this past season. I have the potential to be great. I have to continue to keep working for that dream to come true. I'll stay in the gym and keep working hard. I'm going to enjoy it. I'm all about winning."

The 6-4 1/4, 213-pound Oladipo is one of the top defenders in the draft.

"I defend at a high level," he said. "I can impact the game on both ends of the floor. I feel like I'm a leader and can rebound at a high level. I'm an all-around player. I can impact the game even when I'm not scoring."

He wasn't highly skilled as a young player. He still has room to grow as a shooter.

o Maryland center Alen Len (7-1, 255) spent Thursday and Friday visiting with the Cavs, a source confirmed. He's shed his crutches after having surgery on his ankle. He could be the new favorite for the No. 1 pick. Kentucky's Nerlens Noel was at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Thursday.

o Akron center Zeke Marshall (7-0, 235) is working out for the Cavs on Monday, a source confirmed. He could be a candidate for the second round. He averaged 3.6 blocks for the Zips this season.

o Georgetown small forward Otto Porter Jr. (6-8 1/2, 198) was asked who he'd take No. 1, excluding himself, of course. "I'd pick Ben McLemore," he said. "He is explosive. He can shoot and he's unselfish. I'd definitely pick him if I had the No. 1 pick."

o Serbian forward Dario Saric (6-10, 223) shocked many when he pulled out of the draft this week. He could have gone as high as No. 13 to Dallas. "I would love to know what the agent was saying to him," Probasketballdraft.com's Joe Kotoch said. "Maybe they thought he'd be a top five pick next year. The (2014) draft is loaded."

o Kotoch has been doing a mock draft for Sheridanhoops.com. He said the 2013 draft is unique. "In all my years following the draft, this one is the hardest to handicap," he said.

o Teams wonder if Michigan point guard Trey Burke (6-1 1/4, 187) can become a good defender in the NBA. "A lot of teams asked me about my defensive intensity," he said. "They said they saw me play defense, but sometimes they saw me relax. I can't do that. Night in and night out, you play against the best point guards in the world. That's something I'll continue to work on. I want to keep developing my lower body. I want to be quicker and more explosive."

o Lehigh combo guard C.J. McCollum (6-3 1/4, 197) is a two-time Patriot League Player of the Year. He was leading the nation in scoring at 25.7 points per game when he broke his left foot on Jan. 5. The former Canton GlenOak High School star said he has been working on his body strength, core strength and lateral movement during his rehab. "I was able to lift and develop my body more in that four-month period," he said. "One of my weaknesses was strength. It was a question mark that people had." He said he's not a pure point guard. "I'm a scoring point guard," he said. "I'm fully capable of playing the point guard position. I can also come off the ball like Steph Curry does at Golden State. I think the more things you can do, the better you are and the more teams can utilize you."

Rumor mill

o The Cavs have likely spoken to the Celtics about small forward Paul Pierce's availability. The latest rumor is the Cavs offering their two second-round picks for the 35-year-old Pierce. Pierce's $15.3 million contract for next year would become guaranteed if he's dealt.

o Kotoch reports that the Cavs have a deal in place to acquire Dallas' No. 13 pick in Thursday's draft. They could be targeting Russian small forward Sergey Karasev (6-9, 197).

o Celtics coach Doc Rivers supposedly informed the Los Angeles Clippers that he is no longer a candidate for that team's coaching job. Yahoo! Sports reported that he'll use the weekend to decide his coaching future. Don't be shocked if he parts ways with the Celtics, despite having three years and $21 million remaining on his contract. The Celtics wanted a first-round pick from the Clippers to let him out of his contract.

o After back-to-back titles, will the Miami Heat keep their team intact? If they move any of the Big Three, it will likely be forward/center Chris Bosh. He has $61.8 million remaining on his contract. They are moving heavily into the luxury tax. Ray Allen, James Jones and Rashard Lewis own player options on their contracts for next year.

o Many believe Houston has vaulted to the top of Dwight Howard's destination list. One source said Atlanta might not want Howard. Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers will also make a major run at him.

o With the hiring of Coach Jason Kidd, agent Jeff Schwartz has become a powerful player in the Nets' fortunes. Schwartz's Excel Management now represents the Nets head coach, their franchise player (Deron Williams), all their point guards (C.J. Watson and Tyshawn Taylor) and one of their two Euro-stashed players (Ilkan Karaman). Other Nets players represented by Schwartz are Jerry Stackhouse and Mirza Teletovic.

o Rap mogul Jay-Z, otherwise known as Shawn Carter, was certified by the National Basketball Players Association, according to The Sports Business Daily. He also has applied for certification with MLBPA. Jay-Z launched Roc Nation Sports on April 1 with the intent to create a full-service sports agency which represents players in all of the major sports. It appears as if Thunder forward Kevin Durant will join forces with Jay-Z, who sold his minority ownership stake in the Nets.

o Spurs swingman Manu Ginobili either is not right physically or nearing the end of his outstanding career. He was asked after the NBA Finals is he is considering retiring. "It's not the moment," he said. "I really can't say anything." He turns 36 on July 28. He played seven years of professional basketball before coming to the Spurs in 2002. This was his 10th year in San Antonio.

o Kings center DeMarcus Cousins' agent, Dan Fegan, is asking for a maximum extension. The problem? He might not be a max player. The Kings have gone out of their way to say he's not available in trades. That might change, however.

o Heat forward LeBron James recently purchased the property next to his home in suburban Akron and leveled the house on the other property, one neighbor reports. Home owners in the area think he might build another entrance/exit to his exclusive, gated property.